Occupational Health and Safety of Nigerian Air Force Personnel, Infantry Soldiers and Mechanized Armoured Tank Crews: Evidence from Nigeria, Europe and the United States of America
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Abstract
Military occupational health and safety (OHS) is inseparable from operational readiness, personnel welfare and the long-term sustainability of armed forces. Nigerian Air Force personnel, infantry soldiers and mechanized armoured-vehicle crews encounter overlapping but occupationally distinctive hazards: aircraft noise and vibration, jet-fuel and exhaust exposure, fatigue and high-consequence decision-making in aviation; combat trauma, heavy load carriage, heat strain, sleep disruption and musculoskeletal injury among infantry; and whole-body vibration, acoustic trauma, restricted egress, heat, fumes and communication difficulties among armoured crews. This article examines these risks in Nigeria while drawing comparisons with research and prevention approaches from Europe, North America and other military settings. It adopts a structured narrative literature review methodology, synthesising peer-reviewed research, systematic reviews, occupational health guidance, and relevant Nigerian studies published mainly between 2023 and 2026, alongside foundational work where recent evidence is limited. Recent reviews show that military and law-enforcement populations experience a broad spectrum of adverse outcomes, including mental ill-health, hearing loss, musculoskeletal disorders, heat illness, sleep problems and burnout. Nigerian evidence identifies psychological distress among deployed soldiers and air-force personnel, while international studies provide more detailed evidence on load carriage, jet-fuel exposure, fatigue, noise and vibration. The article argues that Nigeria requires a role-specific, prevention-led military OHS system supported by exposure monitoring, confidential health surveillance, fatigue-risk management, equipment maintenance, heat controls, hearing conservation, post-deployment support and a stronger local research programme. Because available Nigerian studies are often cross-sectional or facility-specific, international findings should inform, not substitute for local exposure measurement and longitudinal research.
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